File 1 - Aokigahara
by phantompharaoh
Summary: Located at the base of Mount Fuji, Aokigahara has been called "the perfect place to die". The forest lives up to its reputation and now the team has to deal with the troubled spirits of those who have taken their lives within the forest boundaries. Mai becomes connected to the place after reliving multiple suicides and then seems to fall depressed herself. Can SPR solve this case?


**Welcome to my first official Ghost Hunt fanfic! I hope you enjoy and I hope I do the original an honor. **

**Please note that this has been rewritten, I hope you enjoy it all the same however! Thank you to my wonderful Beta reader Amthyst! I'd be lost without your input and wisdom!**

**Ghost Hunt belongs to Fuyumi Ono, not me!**

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I really wish that Naru would get a new door for the office. The amount of squeaking and creaking that it does would make any mice nearby think that one of their brethren had become a mutant, and was out to kill them. Seriously! I knew he had the money for it, yet he saw it as a minor inconvenience rather than a problem. That bonehead probably won't buy a new door until the one we have is rotting away and nearly falling off its hinges.

Sometimes I wonder why I am still here working for such an arrogant narcissist. Some things we will never know, I suppose.

Out of habit I went into the kitchenette to make the tea that Naru would be asking for. He is pretty predictable that way, since the first thing I get yelled at for is to make tea. I have it ready in minutes, and take off to our favorite narcissist's office to deliver it.

I set the tea in front of him with a satisfied smirk. He gave no reaction at all, and continued to read his book. After a short pause he said, "If this is another attempt at getting a raise, you might as well drop the idea now."

I crossed my arms, scowling at his baseless assumptions.

"I don't pay you to stand there looking like a pouting child, file these away and then get me more tea," he nodded towards a small pile of recent reports sitting on the corner of his desk.

I snatch the folders from his desk and leave his office with my head pointing in the air. I didn't give him the satisfaction of winning over me. I close the door quickly, as I did not want to look at him longer than was required.

Continuing on to my desk I settle in my chair, mentally preparing for the torture of filing. I look down at the first folder, 'Aokigahara', it read. Images of a past case came flooding in my mind. We had been to that infamous forest two years ago.

I couldn't resist my curiosity, and opened the folder. Inside there were dozens of newspaper clippings, online articles regarding the forest, and photos of both the landscape and some of the numerous suicide victims. I thought back to that case, and an involuntary shudder ran through my body. The memories were still fresh, as fresh as when they had been made the first time.

-StartFlashback-

It was a very ordinary day; tea making, glares sent between Naru and me, filing and more tea making. I was completely bored. I may have been doing things, but the small and insignificant activities only seemed to bore me even further.

The door opened which ceased any future ponderings. I immediately shot up and offered the older looking man, who entered, a kind smile.

"Welcome to Shibuya Psychic Research, how can I help you?"

He seemed hesitant, but answered eventually, "I was hoping Mr. Shibuya could take a case of mine, I am in dire need of his services."

I nodded and gestured to the chairs we had set out, "Please have a seat, and I'll go get the boss now."

I seated him before running to Naru's door, "Naru, there's a client waiting for you". I did the same for Lin and then retreated into the kitchenette to fix more tea for everyone. When I re-emerged I found that the interview was already under way.

"My name is Azuka Hayano and I am here to ask for your help on a rather expansive case," the man said.

Naru already seemed impatient with the man, "What exactly would we be investigating?" I grimaced at Naru's sharp tone and set out the tea rapidly to ease some of the tenseness out of the atmosphere.

Mr. Hayano seemed very reluctant to answer.

"It's okay to tell us, we've heard about some pretty crazy places," I tried to reassure him, "I know we can help with whatever you tell us."

The man's shoulders slumped in defeat, "My case for you is Aokigahara Forest at the foot of Mount Fuji."

Silence encased the room.

Practically everyone in Japan knew of the infamous forest of death. Heck, I knew someone in school that was always very withdrawn and sad, and one day she didn't come back. A couple of weeks later they found her body at the foot of a tree, a suicide note at her side. It was pretty well known what happened in Aokigahara, or at least it definitely wasn't a secret.

"It is well known that many choose to end their lives within the forest, many claim to see and hear the dead but there was never anything to back it up so the activity was forgotten," Mr. Hayano continued, "However, recently I witnessed some of the rumored activity firsthand just days ago. I was doing my usual walkthrough of the forest looking for anything... peculiar, and I came upon a man standing in the path. He was perfectly still so I thought maybe he was perhaps looking at a map of some kind, but when I asked him if he needed any help finding anything he didn't respond. I called to him again and this time..." He paused to collect himself.

I felt a pang of sympathy for the man upon seeing his evident discomfort towards the subject.

"H-He turned to me but his body didn't move! It was only his head..." Mr. Hayano exclaimed, "His eyes were dilated and his throat was very clearly slit. I just stared at him, as the rest of his body turned towards me, and then he began to disappear right before my eyes. I blinked, and he was completely gone."

Naru seemed to be contemplating this new information carefully.

I could practically hear the gears turning in his mind; he was definitely thinking about taking the case already.

"Perhaps the most pressing issue at the moment is that recently one of our local volunteers, Kenta, went missing," the man said with worry heavy in his voice, "His partner at the time said that he seemed to react to something, before moving out of his field of vision. The next thing his partner knew, Kenta was gone."

Naru held a hand at his mouth in contemplation. I waited with bated breath for him to make the final say.

After a moment he nodded, "We'll take your case Mr. Hayano. Please expect us by noon tomorrow."

Mr. Hayano practically fell out of his seat with surprise, "Really? You'll take it?!"

I interjected before Naru could say anything sarcastic, "Yes sir, if you'll please give me the address for the lodge we'll be staying in?"

He quickly wrote down the address on the pad of paper I handed him. Then he bowed deeply, thanking us profusely. In the midst of the activity I hadn't noticed Naru and Lin retreat back to their offices.

I hadn't taken a step away from the door when I heard the unmistakable command of, "Mai, tea."

I gave a small sigh, before setting out to make the requested tea.

"Mai," Naru said suddenly, when I had placed the tea in front of him.

I whipped around; surprised that he was actually talking to me, "Yes?"

He shuffled some papers on his desk as he spoke to me, "Call the others, let them know about our case and then get me more tea. After that, go home."

I stared at him in disbelief, "What? You're sending me home early?"

Naru gave me a look of annoyance, "Considering all you would do is sit here and be useless, yes I am sending you home early."

I gaped at him, and then harrumphed to show my indignant attitude. I stalked out, closing the door loudly. I crossed my arms and sat heavily in my chair, pouting for a little while. I quickly gave that idea up, and decided to call the team to let them know about the case. I kept the calls short and to the point, knowing that Naru would have my head if he caught me chatting.

I had just learned that lesson recently, having to suffer an entire lecture on how I should use company time for the _company _and not to fulfill my own 'idiotic purposes'. I was beginning to question whether Naru knew the meaning of social time or not.

After finishing, I hastily made the creature of darkness his tea, and headed home. It had been a long day and once I reached my apartment, I was feeling the effects of it. Kudos to me, though, since I had decided to pack that night, and not wait until the morning.

The night surprisingly passed without any kind of psychic dreams, not that I'm complaining. After all, everyone needs normal dreams every now and again.

My walk to the office was also rather surprising in the fact that it was actually pleasant. The sun was out and even though it was Tokyo, there were birds chirping and singing about in the trees. I was feeling pretty good about the day.

Upon reaching the office I spotted the van parked out front, all packed up and ready to go. I quickly slipped in my suitcase and then bounded up the stairs. I instinctually headed into the kitchenette and began making the tea I knew that Naru would yell at me to make. I was feeling pretty good with myself then too, on time and doing the boss a favor.

Naru sure was lucky to have an assistant like me, I mean I don't think anyone else could put up with his narcissism and high demands. The idea of anyone even trying was absolutely ludicrous.

The tea was ready in a jiffy and the next thing I knew I was delivering it to Naru. I placed it in front of him with a triumphant smirk, "You're welcome Mr. Early Bird!"

He regarded me with a blank expression before taking the tea wordlessly. I gnashed my teeth together and gave him a forced smile, "This is the part where you say, 'Thank you, you wonderful-on-time assistant!'."

"Just because you're on time for once doesn't mean you get a golden medal and a certificate of congratulations Mai, it just means you're actually on time," he commented dryly, "Now make yourself useful with your extra time and file those papers on your desk."

"YOU'RE AN ARROGANT NARCISSIST, NARU," I yelled at him, stamping my foot.

"Thank you."

I threw my hands up in the air and stomped out. There was only so much of his arrogance I could stand in one da,y and I was already reaching my limit. I practically threw the papers in their filed positions in my annoyance. It wasn't until I had calmed slightly, that Naru had actually said thank you to something, even if it was sarcasm. The thought made my victorious feeling come back. I did a victory dance at my minor accomplishment.

"What are you doing kiddo," asked a familiar voice from the doorway.

I immediately froze, and craned my neck to look at the amused expression Monk wore. I blushed and quickly returned to a normal position, coughing into my hand.

Monk gave a laugh and continued heaving his suitcase in through the doorway. He let out a loud sigh when he got it in, falling onto the couch.

"Man that was exhausting," he said breathlessly.

Moments later, Ayako came in as well, heaving her three heavy bags behind her and plopping on the couch in a similar manner.

"I think I might've broken a nail," she said with disappointment.

Masako and John came in after them, neither had their bags with them.

Lin emerged from his office and gazed at Ayako and Monk curiously. Naru soon emerged too and gave the two a look of annoyance.

Monk eyed everyone and then asked, "Where are your bags, guys?"

I began laughing at his question which made him grow even more confused.

"What's so funny?" Ayako demanded.

I noticed through my laughing, that Masako and John were also laughing slightly.

"It seems that while Mai's intelligence levels have temporarily increased, yours' have decreased significantly," Naru remarked.

They both shot up from their seats, "What do you mean by that?!"

I gave them a bright smile and explained, "Did you forget that our bags go in the vans? You both drug your luggage up here, and now you have to take it right back down to get it in the vehicles."

Monk and Ayako blinked at me in thought, before groaning dramatically, berating themselves for being so forgetful.

I giggled, and followed the others who were already heading out the door.

"Quit wasting time and get your luggage packed up, we have somewhere to be," Naru scolded sharply.

I gave another laugh as they scurried down the stairs, and threw their baggage in the back of the second van. I glanced in the van and spotted Yasu lazily stretched out on the floor, sleeping like a baby. I was mildly surprised to see him there but brushed it off. It wasn't too weird for Yasu, after all. I settled in the first van with Naru, Lin and the equipment, and we were off.

If I had done my math right, then we would most likely be at Aokigahara within an hour. I stretched out and got comfortable, that meant plenty of time for a nap! Within minutes I felt my eyelids droop.

**-DreamSequence-**

_I felt an immense amount of sorrow and guilt. I was walking on the winding trails of Aokigahara, really only having one purpose for being there. I continued to walk, eventually going a little off the path. I hated myself more with every step I took. _

_I was a terrible person. My family had been suffering for my actions for long enough, and it was time to end their grief. It was time to end my grief as well, the looks they all gave me were torture. I wasn't even human to them, just athingthat caused trouble for them._

_The note in my hand felt heavy, the thought of what I was about to do even heavier._

_Even though I knew my parents wouldn't care at all, I felt that I should explain my actions and my reasoning for leaving this world. No one would care but I still needed to say it. Part of me was still hesitant, and that was my reason for wandering. If nothing more than a favor to myself, I needed to be resolute in my decision._

_My hands were clammy, and they shook violently. That didn't matter with the blade I had – it wouldn't matter if my aim was slightly off. It would surely kill me regardless. That knowledge was oddly reassuring. I finally found a tree to lean against. I settled down onto the ground, and swallowed as I brought out the knife from my jacket. I unsheathed it, and ran my fingers over the blade that was curved like a slithering snake. _

_It was beautiful. I felt compelled to run my fingers over the side to test the sharpness. The familiar feeling of release overcame me when the blade made a slit in my fingers, blood beginning to leak from the fresh wound. I smiled happily and found that I had finally resigned to my fate. I was sure that my death could only bring happiness to my family. _

_I nodded to myself and positioned the knife in front of my heart. I whispered out a goodbye, some tears rolling down my face, and drove the knife deep into my chest. I couldn't stop the small cry of pain that worked out of my throat, at the burning pain I felt. The blood poured out of the wound much like a fountain, it was utterly beautiful. I felt numbness in my limbs and tiredness set in. Finally I had done something right, my family would be proud._

_Everything around me began to blur. I clutched the suicide note in my hand tightly, being sure not to let it go. I had not written my name, no one would care anyway. My name would just fade away into the background, and be forgotten. I let my eyes fall shut, not caring to see the world that hated me, any longer. The pain and everything else faded, I was finally dead._

**-EndDreamSequence-**

I woke up gasping and sobbing. My hand clutched at the wound that I knew wasn't there, the pain still burning like a white hot fire. I was choking, why was it so hard to breathe?!

As I tried to focus I became aware of Naru's hard voice saying something.

"Mai as much as you would like to go without air, your lungs would not. So breathe."

I glared through my tears, gasping, but actually listened and tried to level out my breathing. I couldn't stop the tears though, that poor boy was so distraught! The feeling of suicide being the only option left weighed heavily on my mind. It took awhile, but I finally started calming down. I noted that Naru was turned in his seat to peer back at me.

He seemed to be thinking, "You had a dream?" I could only nod.

His dark eyes were guarded as always, but I noticed that his tone was softer than usual. I rubbed the spot on my shoulder where the wound had been, and looked away. I was still shaking.

"Here," a voice muttered.

I turned my gaze back to Naru, who was holding out a water bottle to me. I gave him a small, weak smile and took it gratefully. It helped get my mind off of what I had just seen.

"Did you witness a suicide?" he asked after a moment, his normal tone back in place.

I again nodded, not trusting my words.

He nodded as well, "I see..."

Then, to my surprise, he turned towards the front and dropped the subject. I realized that he must still be burning with questions, yet he held them off, and for that I was truly grateful. I gave another small smile in his direction before leaning against the window.

We hadn't even gotten to Aokigahara and it was already living up to its reputation.

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**There we are rewritten chapter for your viewing pleasure! Hope you enjoyed this! Thank you for reading, hope you be back soon for you all, I will be writing double time for you all!**

**-phantompharaoh**


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